HLA-C “blank” alleles express class I gene products. Biochemical analysis of four different HLA-C “blank” polypeptides

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) W6/32, HC10, and 4E were used to precipitate class I antigens from 21 selected individuals with at least oneHLA-C “blank” allele. In 19 of these individuals, characteristicHLA-C banding patterns which could be precipitated by all three HLA class I mAbs were observed on one-dimensional isoelectric focusing gels-obviously the gene products ofHLA-C “blank”. At least four allelic HLA-C “blank” gene products with different isoelectric points could be discerned. All of them segregated withHLA-C “blank” haplotypes in informative families; two of them were associated withHLA-B51, one withHLA-B38, and one withHLA-B18. Reactivity of the HLA-C “blank” heavy chains with mAb W6/32 indicates that they are able to associated with beta-2 microglobulin, and hence are most probably expressed at the cell surface.     

Homology as a relation of correspondence between parts of individuals

The recognition of correspondences has long been a fundamental activity among systematists. Advocates ofNaturphilosophie, such as Lorenz Oken, drew far-fetched analogies between taxonomic groups and all sorts of other things, including the Persons of the Trinity. They treated change through time either as analogous to an ontogeny or as the product of divinely instituted laws of nature. Darwin changed things by making the taxonomic units strictly historical, implying that they are not classes but rather individuals in a broad metaphysical sense. That means that taxa are concrete, particular things, or wholes made up of parts which are themselves individuals, and that there are no laws of nature for them. Homology is a relationship of correspondence between parts of organisms that are also parts of populations and lineages. It is not a relationship of similarity, and unlike similarity it is transitive. Analogy is a relationship of correspondence between parts of organisms that are members of classes, and is not necessarily due to function. Taxa, like other individuals, can change indefinitely, and the only thing that they must share is a common ancestor. They do not share an essence, Platonic Idea orBauplan, although “conservative characters” may be widespread in them. Iterative homology likewise is a relationship of correspondence, but the nature of that correspondence remains unclear. The difficulties of the homology concept can be overcome by treating phylogenetics and comparative biology in general as historical narrative. From the 46th “Phylogenetisches Symposium”, Jena, Germany, November 20–21, 2004. Theme of the symposium: “Evolutionary developmental biology—new challenges to the homology concept”.     

Coexistence of congeneric spiny lobsters on coral reefs: differences in conspecific aggregation patterns and their potential antipredator benefits

Den sharing by conspecific spiny lobsters (aggregation) is modulated by chemical attraction but may confer several, not necessarily mutually exclusive, antipredator byproduct benefits: a “guide effect”, which only benefits the individual attracted to a sheltered conspecific; a “dilution effect”, which reduces per-capita risk of predation simply through aggregation; or active “group defense”. Each potential benefit has a different set of predictors (relationships between aggregation and conspecific or predator densities), but conflicting results could suggest the simultaneous operation of more than one benefit. These predictions were tested for coexisting Panulirus guttatus (a reef-obligate) and Panulirus argus (a temporary reef-dweller) using data collected during 11 surveys on fixed sites over a coral reef in Mexico. P. guttatus greatly outnumbered P. argus, but P. argus showed a greater tendency to aggregate. All three benefits of den sharing operated for the more social P. argus, with “group defense” being of the most benefit for larger individuals, and the “guide” and “dilution” effects for smaller individuals recently immigrating into the reef habitat and sharing dens with larger conspecifics. P. guttatus did not display “group defense” and its aggregations appeared to be modulated by the interplay between attraction and aggressive behaviors. This species relied more on solitary crypticity, especially at larger sizes, but appeared to benefit from a “guide effect” at high conspecific densities. In experimental tanks, each species tended to aggregate when tested separately, but when tested jointly, aggregation among P. guttatus was significantly reduced. The experimental results reflect the differential patterns of aggregation between the fore-reef, where P. guttatus dominated, and the back-reef, where coexistence of both species was greater.     

Ritual and Performance in Domestic Violence Healing: From Survivor to Thriver Through Rites of Passage

This article describes a group for domestic violence survivors to help them move past a “liminal” state in which their social identity is characterized by being “victim” or “survivor” to one of “incorporation” defined by “thriving” and joy. Through the creation and use of healing rituals, blessings, poetry, art and music, the women in the group establish “communitas” and support each other in the work of self-reclamation and healing. The group, “Rites of Passage” is intended for women who have completed shelter-based crisis interventions, and uses a structured curriculum that integrates theoretical and philosophical concepts from anthropology, post-modernism, humanistic psychology, social work, and existentialism. Through the Rites of Passage group, women identify and traverse a healing trajectory to construct an identity founded on strength and fulfillment. Patterned after non-western sex-segregated rites of transition, those who go through the group celebrate its conclusion with a defining ritual that publically marks their change in identity and status.     

The functions of status in the mantled howler monkey,Alouatta palliata Gray: Intraspecific competition for group membership in a folivorous neotropical primate

In the dominance hierarchies of adult male and female mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata Gray), high-ranking individuals are young adults; intermediate-ranking individuals, middle-aged adults; and low-ranking individuals, old adults. This relationship reverses the trend observed in most group-living animals and is previously unreported for this species. A limiting supply of palatable leaves may create intense intraspecific competition for group membership which, it is hypothesized, has resulted in this rare pattern of hierarchical relations. It is shown that individual-level selection is sufficient to explain the evolution of this apparently “altruistic” status system, though other mechanisms are assessed. The energetic constraints imposed by a folivorous diet appear to restrict the expression of aggression to “ritualized” forms. Two groups of monkeys in two different habitats were studied and the rates of appeasement and aggressive behavior were found to be higher in the more “stressful” forest. The latter group, however, displays significantly more behavioral patterns entailing low or intermediate energy expenditure.     

Age changes of the carpal bones in macaques: Application of the fourier analysis on the radiographs

A method based on the Fourier analysis is proposed, which describes and analyzes the contour morphology of carpal bones by separating morphology into factors of shape and size. Here, “size” refers to the average diameter of the contour. The “shape” is expressed byshape factors which are derived from the Fourier series and the “shape” of a monkey is expressed by ashape index which is calculated fromshape factors. The age change in the morphology of the lunate and capitate ofMacaca fuscata fuscata was analyzed by this method. The development of “shape” approximately completes by 3 years of age, whereas increase in “size” begins its spurt at that age as do body weight and anterior trunk length. By applying this method to other macaque species, it was found thatM. mulatta, M. f. yakui andM. cyclopis exhibit similar patterns of growth and development of carpal bones to those ofM. f. fuscata. Patterns found inM. fascicularis differ in that its bones develop faster than in the other macaques with respect to the “shape,” but remain small with respect to the “size.”     

An ant’s eye view of culture: propagation of new traditions through triggering dormant behavioural patterns

We consider a previously unknown way of propagation of behavioural traditions in animal communities using hunting in ants as an example. We experimentally revealed that common litter dwelling ants Myrmica rubra effectively hunt jumping prey and the way the hunting behavioural pattern is distributed within ant colonies is rather sophisticated. Comparison of our results with those obtained on vertebrates enables us to suggest that “distributed social learning” plays an important role in spreading new traditions in animal communities: initial performances by a few carriers of an “at once and entirely” available behavioural pattern propagate this pattern among specimens which have only dormant “sketches” of it. Spread of these behaviours in populations is based on relatively simple forms of social learning such as social facilitation which underlies species’ predisposition to learn certain sequences of behavioural acts. To be triggered, carriers of dormant “sketches” of a relevant behavioural pattern should encounter performances of this pattern with sufficient frequency. We call this strategy triggering of dormant behavioural patterns. Integration of behaviour thus takes place not only at the individual level but at the population level as well.     

Synchronized changes to relative neuron populations in postnatal human neocortical development

Mammalian prenatal neocortical development is dominated by the synchronized formation of the laminae and migration of neurons. Postnatal development likewise contains “sensitive periods” during which functions such as ocular dominance emerge. Here we introduce a novel neuroinformatics approach to identify and study these periods of active development. Although many aspects of the approach can be used in other studies, some specific techniques were chosen because of a legacy dataset of human histological data (Conel in The postnatal development of the human cerebral cortex, vol 1–8. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1939–1967). Our method calculates normalized change vectors from the raw histological data, and then employs k-means cluster analysis of the change vectors to explore the population dynamics of neurons from 37 neocortical areas across eight postnatal developmental stages from birth to 72 months in 54 subjects. We show that the cortical “address” (Brodmann area/sub-area and layer) provides the necessary resolution to segregate neuron population changes into seven correlated “k-clusters” in k-means cluster analysis. The members in each k-cluster share a single change interval where the relative share of the cortex by the members undergoes its maximum change. The maximum change occurs in a different change interval for each k-cluster. Each k-cluster has at least one totally connected maximal “clique” which appears to correspond to cortical function.     

Some bio-sociological aspects of the mathematical theory of communication

In the first part of the paper a general discussion of the transmission of information through neural chains is given in terms of the Shannon-Weaver theory. It is pointed out that with the all-or-none law a single chain of neurons connected in series transmits one bit of information per signal. A set ofN independent parallel chains transmitsN bits per signal. If, however, the chains are interconnected, the amount of information is reduced. At the same time, however, the degree of coordination of the final neuromuscular reaction is increased. A relation between the maximum possible speed of a reaction and its degree of coordination is derived, and possible applications to spoken language are suggested. A general quantitative discussion of the relation between amount of information and amount of knowledge which an individual may obtain when confronted with the external world is made and a possible connection with new trends in logical thinking is pointed out. In the second part transmission of information through “social chains” is discussed under certain special assumptions. An expression for the “social channel noise” in terms of the length of the channel is derived. Finally an expression is given for the amount of information transmitted from one individual to another in a social group of uniform density as a function of the physical distance between the two individuals.     

Applications of matrix algebra to communication nets

A “generic” problem amenable to matrix algebraic treatment is outlined. Several examples are given and one, a communication system, is studied in some detail. A typical structure matrix is used to describe the channels of communication and a “status” matrix is used to describe the distribution of information in the system at any time. A theorem is proved relating the status matrix at any timet to thetth power of the structure matrix. The elements of the communication system are interpreted as individuals who can send messages to each other. For the individuals attempting to solve a “group problem” certain relations are derived between the structure and status matrices and time of solution. The structure of the communication system is permitted to vary with time. A general theorem is proved relating the status matrix to the matrix product of the series of structure matrices representing the changing structure of the system. Some suggestions are made for further generalizations. In particular, it is suggested that so-called “higher order” information transmission can be similarly treated.     

The nonexistence of “hermaphoroditic” tracer systems

This communiction argues that so-called “hermaphroditic” tracer systems, which are neither open nor closed, do not exist physically. The argument is based on the assumption that any observable (possibly nonhomogeneous) macroscopic compartment can be approximated by a compartmentC with a finite number of entry points for the tracer, each associated with an abstract subcompartment ofC. It is shown that the “hermaphroditic” property requires that the mean waiting time be infinite in at least one of the subcompartments, or in a subcompartment elsewhere in the system. A subcompartment with infinite mean waiting time must have some sort of memory, of infinite duration, which knows how long a given particle has been retained, however long that is, and thereby determines its probability of departure. Assuming, as seems likely, that no physical basis exists for such an infinite memory, it follows that “hermaphroditic” systems do not exist. Supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Research Grant GM 21269 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and in part by Biomedical Research Support Grant S07 RR 05392 from the National Institutes of Health.     

Social organization and reproductive behavior of ostraciid fishes from Japan and the Western Atlantic Ocean

Social organization and reproductive behavior were studied in 4 species of ostraciid fishes.Lactoria fornasini andLactoria diaphana from Japan andAcanthostracion polygonius from the western Atlsnyiv were usually found in single male, haremic social groups, although the latter 2 species usually included only 2 females per harem, and individuals in all 3 species foraged solitarily. Elements of both “resource defense” and “female defense” (Emlen & Oring 1977) were evident in the 2Lactoria species, and female defense appeared particularly intense inL. diaphana. Resource defense was apparent inA. polygonius. Lactophrys triquetor occurred in lek-like breeding assemblages at Curacao (Netherlands Antilles) and on the Atlantic coast of Panama. These variations in social organization are discussed and a relationship with feeding habits is suggested. All 4 species appear to be gonochores (demonstrated inLactoria by Moyer 1979). The 2Lactoria spp. showed operational sex ratios (OSR: Emlen & Oring 1977) approaching 1∶1 and a high degree of female spawning synchrony. The occurrence of polygyny in species with 1∶1 OSRs and female spawning synchrony is discussed with reference to the Knowlton (1979) model which predicts monogamy to occur in such situations.     

A reexamination of Gilligan’s analysis of the female moral system

Gilligan’s (1982) refinement of Kohlberg’s theory on moral development operates on two theses: (1) females, more so than males, reach moral decisions based on the personalities of the relevant individuals; and (2) female behaviors stemming from moral decisions are based upon “care” and “responsibility for others.” This article accepts the first thesis but argues that the second is incorrect. That is, self-interest—i.e., aiding “blood” kin and/or carefully monitoring reciprocity—rather than “altruism” is argued to be the operant dynamic in forging distaff morality and resultant behavior. Six empirical examples are presented as contraindicative of Gilligan’s second thesis. Finally, it is suggested that selection for the psychological traits of independence and the mastery of subtle social chess yielded ancestral females who had more descendants—us—than did females with alternative profiles. Nancy S. Coney is a professor at Western Illinois University and is interested in both clinical and nonclinical aspects of women’s psychology. Wade C. Mackey is interested in biocultural anthropology and has authored two books on fathering:Fathering Behaviors (Plenum, 1995) andThe American Father (Plenum, 1996).     

Male production by non-natal workers in the bumblebee, Bombus deuteronymus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Social insect societies are considered to be composed of many extremely cooperative individuals. While workers are traditionally believed to behave altruistically, recent studies have revealed behaviors that are more selfish. One such example is intraspecific social parasitism, where workers invade conspecific colonies and produce male offspring that are reared by unrelated host workers. Such intraspecific parasitism has been reported in honeybees (Apis cerana, and A. florea) and “semi-wild” bumblebee colonies of Bombus terrestris. Here we report on intraspecific social parasitism by workers in “wild” colonies of the bumblebee B. deuteronymus. Three of the 11 B. deuteronymus colonies studied were invaded by non-natal workers, of which 75% became reproductive and produced 19% of the adult males. The invading non-natal workers produced significantly more males than resident natal workers and the non-natal brood was not discriminated against by the natal workers.     

Subtropical coral-reef associated sedimentary facies characterized by molluscs (Northern Bay of Safaga, Red Sea, Egypt)

Summary The shallow marine subtropical Northern Bay of Safaga is composed of a complex pattern of sedimentary facies that are generally rich in molluscs. Thirteen divertaken bulk-samples from various sites (reef slopes, sand between coral patches, muddy sand, mud, sandy seagrass, muddy seagrass, mangrove channel) at water depths ranging from shallow subtidal to 40m were investigated with regard to their mollusc fauna >1mm, which was separated into fragments and whole individuals. Fragments make up more than 88% of the total mollusc remains of the samples, and their proportions correspond to characteristics of the sedimentary facies. The whole individuals were differentiated into 622 taxa. The most common taxon,Rissoina cerithiiformis, represented more than 5% of the total mollusc content in the samples. The main part of the fauna consists of micromolluscs, including both small adults and juveniles. Based on the results of cluster-, correspondence-, and factor analyses the fauna was grouped into several associations, each characterizing a sedimentary facies: (1) “Rhinoclavis sordidula—Corbula erythraeensis-Pseudominolia nedyma association” characterizes mud. (2) “Microcirce sp.—Leptomyaria sp. association” characterizes muddy sand. (3)”Smaragdia spp.-Perrinia stellata—Anachis exilis—assemblage” characterizes sandy seagrass. (4) “Crenella striatissima—Rastafaria calypso—Cardiates-assemblage” characterizes muddy seagrass. (5) “Glycymeris spp.-Parvicardium sueziensis-Diala spp.-assemblage” characterizes sand between coral patches. (6) “Rissoina spp.-Triphoridae —Ostreoidea-assemblage” characterizes reef slopes. (7) “Potamides conicus—Siphonaria sp. 2—assemblage” characterizes the mangrove. The seagrass fauna is related to those of sand between coral patches and reef slopes with respect to gastropod assemblages, numbers of taxa and diversity indices, and to the muddy sand fauna on the basis of bivalve assemblages and feeding strategies of bivalves. The mangrove assemblage is related to those of sand between coral patches and the reef slope with respect to taxonomic composition and feeding strategies of bivalves, but has a strong relationship to those of the fine-grained sediments when considering diversity indices. Reef slope assemblages are closely related to that of sand between coral patches in all respects, except life habits of bivalves, which distincly separates the reef slope facies from all others.     

Personal Experience of Schizophrenia and the Role of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Danwei</Emphasis>: A Case Study in 1990s Beijing

Danwei as a cornerstone of Chinese urban society has received great research attention. The relationship between the Danwei and psychiatric patients, however, remains unclear. This article aims to shed light on the subject with an integrated micro–macro approach. It introduces a historical understanding of mental health in urban China under the “economic state in transition” framework. A detailed case study in clinical sociology is provided to reveal the many social factors affecting the experience of a schizophrenic patient and his significant others. A changing role of the Danwei is hypothesized and validated with qualitative data. The Danwei was shown to have changed significantly before the mid-1990s, yet it still played a major role in urban workers’ lives, including those of psychiatric patients, and even more so in people’s expectations. This lends support to the need for a more responsive public policy to address various social issues brought about by economic reform, with the learning of worldwide experiences including “community care,” “social support” and “social rehabilitation.” Implications for social research, policymaking and professional practice are discussed.

“Bacillus thermoantarcticus” sp. nov., from Mount Melbourne,Antarctica: a novel thermophilic species

 A novel thermophilic Gram-positive bacillus, “Bacillus thermoantarcticus”, isolated from geothermal soil near the crater of Mount Melbourne, is described. The organism grows at an optimal temperature of 63^°C at pH 6.0, is oxidase-positive, catalase-negative and produces an exopolysaccharide, an exocellular xylanase, an intracellular alcohol dehydrogenase and exo- and endocellular α-glucosidase(s). The sequence of 16S rDNA is very similar to that of “Bacillus thermoglucosidasius”; however, the guanine-plus-cytosine (G+C) content is 8 mol% higher. The type strain is “Bacillus thermoantarcticus” (DSM 9572). Received : 3 February 1995/Accepted : 12 May 1995     

Voiceprint identification and its application to sociological studies of wild Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata yakui)

Japanese monkeys often exchange the particular vocal sound, “coo,” especially when they feed or move as a group. It was considered that the “coo” sound had no positive social meaning, perhaps because the “coo” sound network and its function were hidden behind other behavioral observations. For identification of the vocalizer only from hearing the “coo” sound, three phonetic values, i.e., the “fundamental,” “duration,” and “formants,” plus other characteristics were used as indices of voiceprints. The results indicated that these were effective for identifying the vocalizer in two-thirds of the adults in the study troop which was composed of 12 adults and 16 immature members. The “coo” sound exchange network among the troop members (adults) was drawn on the basis of the voiceprint identification. The network showed three characteristics as follows: (1) matriarchs of the kin-groups frequently exchanged “coo” sounds with each other; (2) the other females exchanged “coo” sounds mostly within their own kin-groups; and (3) males seldom participated in the “coo” sound exchange. This suggests that “coo” sound exchange plays a central role for the matriarch of kin-groups in binding each kin-group and, ultimately, in binding all members together into an organized troop.     

A longitudinal investigation of gestural communication in young chimpanzees

A longitudinal study of chimpanzee gestural communication is reported. Subjects were seven 5- to 8-year-old members of a semi-natural group at the Yerkes Field Station. These were the same individuals observed byTomasello et al. (1985) four years previously. Nearly identical operational definitions and observational procedures were used in the two studies. Longitudinal comparisons between the two observation periods revealed that the development of chimpanzee gestural communication is best characterized as a series of ontogenetic adaptations: as particular social functions (e.g., nursing, playing, grooming, etc.) arise, decline, or change, gestural communication follows suit. Most gestures seem to be conventionalized by individuals in direct social interaction with conspecifics. Some gestures may be learned by “second-person imitation”—an individual copying a behavior directed to it by another individual. No evidence was found for “third-person imitation”—an individual copying a gesture used between two other individuals. Implications for the concept of chimpanzee “culture” are discussed. This research was supported in part by NIH Grant RR-00165 from the Division of Research Resources to the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center. The Yerkes Center is fully accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.